1
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Tessier CE, Dupuy AMM, Pelé T, Juin PP, Lees JA, Guen VJ. EMT and primary ciliogenesis: For better or worse in sickness and in health. Genesis 2024; 62:e23568. [PMID: 37946671 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and primary ciliogenesis are two cell-biological programs that are essential for development of multicellular organisms and whose abnormal regulation results in many diseases (i.e., developmental anomalies and cancers). Emerging studies suggest an intricate interplay between these two processes. Here, we discuss physiological and pathological contexts in which their interconnections promote normal development or disease progression. We describe underlying molecular mechanisms of the interplay and EMT/ciliary signaling axes that influence EMT-related processes (i.e., stemness, motility and invasion). Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the relationship between EMT and primary ciliogenesis may provide new insights in the etiology of diseases related to EMT and cilia dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille E Tessier
- Nantes Université, Inserm, CNRS, Université d'Angers, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France
| | - Aurore M M Dupuy
- Nantes Université, Inserm, CNRS, Université d'Angers, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France
| | - Thomas Pelé
- Nantes Université, Inserm, CNRS, Université d'Angers, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France
| | - Philippe P Juin
- Nantes Université, Inserm, CNRS, Université d'Angers, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research @ MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincent J Guen
- Nantes Université, Inserm, CNRS, Université d'Angers, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France
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2
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Wilson MM, Danielian PS, Salus G, Ferretti R, Whittaker CA, Lees JA. BMI1 is required for melanocyte stem cell maintenance and hair pigmentation. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2023; 36:399-406. [PMID: 37132544 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The epigenetic repressor BMI1 plays an integral role in promoting the self-renewal and proliferation of many adult stem cell populations, and also tumor types, primarily through silencing the Cdkn2a locus, which encodes the tumor suppressors p16Ink4a and p19Arf . However, in cutaneous melanoma, BMI1 drives epithelial-mesenchymal transition programs, and thus metastasis, while having little impact on proliferation or primary tumor growth. This raised questions about the requirement and role for BMI1 in melanocyte stem cell (McSC) biology. Here, we demonstrate that murine melanocyte-specific Bmi1 deletion causes premature hair greying and gradual loss of melanocyte lineage cells. Depilation enhances this hair greying defect, accelerating depletion of McSCs in early hair cycles, suggesting that BMI1 acts to protect McSCs against stress. RNA-seq of McSCs, harvested before onset of detectable phenotypic defects, revealed that Bmi1 deletion derepresses p16Ink4a and p19Arf , as observed in many other stem cell contexts. Additionally, BMI1 loss downregulated the glutathione S-transferase enzymes, Gsta1 and Gsta2, which can suppress oxidative stress. Accordingly, treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) partially rescued melanocyte expansion. Together, our data establish a critical function for BMI1 in McSC maintenance that reflects a partial role for suppression of oxidative stress, and likely transcriptional repression of Cdkn2a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M Wilson
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul S Danielian
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Griffin Salus
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roberta Ferretti
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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3
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Hu S, Metcalf E, Mahat DB, Chan L, Sohal N, Chakraborty M, Hamilton M, Singh A, Singh A, Lees JA, Sharp PA, Garg S. Transcription factor antagonism regulates heterogeneity in embryonic stem cell states. Mol Cell 2022; 82:4410-4427.e12. [PMID: 36356583 PMCID: PMC9722640 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression heterogeneity underlies cell states and contributes to developmental robustness. While heterogeneity can arise from stochastic transcriptional processes, the extent to which it is regulated is unclear. Here, we characterize the regulatory program underlying heterogeneity in murine embryonic stem cell (mESC) states. We identify differentially active and transcribed enhancers (DATEs) across states. DATEs regulate differentially expressed genes and are distinguished by co-binding of transcription factors Klf4 and Zfp281. In contrast to other factors that interact in a positive feedback network stabilizing mESC cell-type identity, Klf4 and Zfp281 drive opposing transcriptional and chromatin programs. Abrogation of factor binding to DATEs dampens variation in gene expression, and factor loss alters kinetics of switching between states. These results show antagonism between factors at enhancers results in gene expression heterogeneity and formation of cell states, with implications for the generation of diverse cell types during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Hu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Emily Metcalf
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dig Bijay Mahat
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lynette Chan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Noor Sohal
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Meenakshi Chakraborty
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Maxwell Hamilton
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arundeep Singh
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Abhyudai Singh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Phillip A Sharp
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Salil Garg
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale Stem Cell Center and Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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4
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Phelps GB, Amsterdam A, Hagen HR, García NZ, Lees JA. MITF
deficiency and oncogenic
GNAQ
each promote proliferation programs in zebrafish melanocyte lineage cells. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2022; 35:539-547. [PMID: 35869673 PMCID: PMC9541221 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary malignancy of the adult eye but lacks any FDA‐approved therapy for the deadly metastatic disease. Thus, there is a great need to dissect the driving mechanisms for UM and develop strategies to evaluate potential therapeutics. Using an autochthonous zebrafish model, we previously identified MITF, the master melanocyte transcription factor, as a tumor suppressor in GNAQQ209L‐driven UM. Here, we show that zebrafish mitfa‐deficient GNAQQ209L‐driven tumors significantly up‐regulate neural crest markers, and that higher expression of a melanoma‐associated neural crest signature correlates with poor UM patient survival. We further determined how the mitfa‐null state, as well as expression of GNAQQ209L, YAPS127A;S381A, or BRAFV600E oncogenes, impacts melanocyte lineage cells before they acquire the transformed state. Specifically, examination 5 days post‐fertilization showed that mitfa‐deficiency is sufficient to up‐regulate pigment progenitor and neural crest markers, while GNAQQ209L expression promotes a proliferative phenotype that is further enhanced by YAPS127A;S381A co‐expression. Finally, we show that this oncogene‐induced proliferative phenotype can be used to screen chemical inhibitors for their efficacy against the UM pathway. Overall, this study establishes that a neural crest signature correlates with poor UM survival, and describes an in vivo assay for preclinical trials of potential UM therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace B. Phelps
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USA
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USA
| | - Hannah R. Hagen
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USA
| | - Nicole Zambrana García
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USA
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA USA
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5
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Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) and uveal melanoma (UM) both originate from the melanocytic lineage but are primarily driven by distinct oncogenic drivers, BRAF/NRAS or GNAQ/GNA11, respectively. The melanocytic master transcriptional regulator, MITF, is essential for both CM development and maintenance, but its role in UM is largely unexplored. Here, we use zebrafish models to dissect the key UM oncogenic signaling events and establish the role of MITF in UM tumors. Using a melanocytic lineage expression system, we showed that patient-derived mutations of GNAQ (GNAQQ209L) or its upstream CYSLTR2 receptor (CYSLTR2L129Q) both drive UM when combined with a cooperating mutation, tp53M214K/M214K. The tumor-initiating potential of the major GNAQ/11 effector pathways, YAP, and phospholipase C-β (PLCβ)–ERK was also investigated in this system and thus showed that while activated YAP (YAPAA) induced UM with high potency, the patient-derived PLCβ4 mutation (PLCB4D630Y) very rarely yielded UM tumors in the tp53M214K/M214K context. Remarkably, mitfa deficiency was profoundly UM promoting, dramatically accelerating the onset and progression of tumors induced by Tg(mitfa:GNAQQ209L);tp53M214K/M214K or Tg(mitfa:CYSLTR2L129Q);tp53M214K/M214K. Moreover, mitfa loss was sufficient to cooperate with GNAQQ209L to drive tp53–wild type UM development and allowed Tg(mitfa:PLCB4D630Y);tp53M214K/M214K melanocyte lineage cells to readily form tumors. Notably, all of the mitfa−/− UM tumors, including those arising in Tg(mitfa:PLCB4D630Y);tp53M214K/M214K;mitfa−/− zebrafish, displayed nuclear YAP while lacking hyperactive ERK indicative of PLCβ signaling. Collectively, these data show that YAP signaling is the major mediator of UM and that MITF acts as a bona fide tumor suppressor in UM in direct opposition to its essential role in CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace B. Phelps
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Hannah R. Hagen
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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6
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Lengefeld J, Cheng CW, Maretich P, Blair M, Hagen H, McReynolds MR, Sullivan E, Majors K, Roberts C, Kang JH, Steiner JD, Miettinen TP, Manalis SR, Antebi A, Morrison SJ, Lees JA, Boyer LA, Yilmaz ÖH, Amon A. Cell size is a determinant of stem cell potential during aging. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabk0271. [PMID: 34767451 PMCID: PMC8589318 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells are remarkably small. Whether small size is important for stem cell function is unknown. We find that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) enlarge under conditions known to decrease stem cell function. This decreased fitness of large HSCs is due to reduced proliferation and was accompanied by altered metabolism. Preventing HSC enlargement or reducing large HSCs in size averts the loss of stem cell potential under conditions causing stem cell exhaustion. Last, we show that murine and human HSCs enlarge during aging. Preventing this age-dependent enlargement improves HSC function. We conclude that small cell size is important for stem cell function in vivo and propose that stem cell enlargement contributes to their functional decline during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jette Lengefeld
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chia-Wei Cheng
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pema Maretich
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marguerite Blair
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hannah Hagen
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Melanie R. McReynolds
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Emily Sullivan
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kyra Majors
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina Roberts
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Joon Ho Kang
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joachim D. Steiner
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Teemu P. Miettinen
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Scott R. Manalis
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam Antebi
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sean J. Morrison
- Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laurie A. Boyer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ömer H. Yilmaz
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Angelika Amon
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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7
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Wilson MM, Callens C, Le Gallo M, Mironov S, Ding Q, Salamagnon A, Chavarria TE, Viel R, Peasah AD, Bhutkar A, Martin S, Godey F, Tas P, Kang HS, Juin PP, Jetten AM, Visvader JE, Weinberg RA, Attanasio M, Prigent C, Lees JA, Guen VJ. An EMT-primary cilium-GLIS2 signaling axis regulates mammogenesis and claudin-low breast tumorigenesis. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabf6063. [PMID: 34705506 PMCID: PMC8550236 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf6063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and primary ciliogenesis induce stem cell properties in basal mammary stem cells (MaSCs) to promote mammogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that EMT transcription factors promote ciliogenesis upon entry into intermediate EMT states by activating ciliogenesis inducers, including FGFR1. The resulting primary cilia promote ubiquitination and inactivation of a transcriptional repressor, GLIS2, which localizes to the ciliary base. We show that GLIS2 inactivation promotes MaSC stemness, and GLIS2 is required for normal mammary gland development. Moreover, GLIS2 inactivation is required to induce the proliferative and tumorigenic capacities of the mammary tumor–initiating cells (MaTICs) of claudin-low breast cancers. Claudin-low breast tumors can be segregated from other breast tumor subtypes based on a GLIS2-dependent gene expression signature. Collectively, our findings establish molecular mechanisms by which EMT programs induce ciliogenesis to control MaSC and MaTIC stemness, mammary gland development, and claudin-low breast cancer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M. Wilson
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Céline Callens
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
| | - Matthieu Le Gallo
- INSERM U1242, Rennes 1 University, Rennes, France
- Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France
| | - Svetlana Mironov
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
| | - Qiong Ding
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Amandine Salamagnon
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
| | - Tony E. Chavarria
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roselyne Viel
- Plateforme d’Histopathologie de Haute Précision (H2P2), Rennes, France
| | - Abena D. Peasah
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arjun Bhutkar
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sophie Martin
- INSERM U1242, Rennes 1 University, Rennes, France
- Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France
| | - Florence Godey
- INSERM U1242, Rennes 1 University, Rennes, France
- Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France
| | - Patrick Tas
- INSERM U1242, Rennes 1 University, Rennes, France
- Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France
| | - Hong Soon Kang
- Cell Biology Section, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Anton M. Jetten
- Cell Biology Section, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jane E. Visvader
- Stem Cells and Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robert A. Weinberg
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MIT Department of Biology and the Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Massimo Attanasio
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Claude Prigent
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
- CRBM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vincent J. Guen
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
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8
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Hazan R, Mori M, Danielian PS, Guen VJ, Rubin SM, Cardoso WV, Lees JA. E2F4's cytoplasmic role in multiciliogenesis is mediated via an N-terminal domain that binds two components of the centriole replication machinery, Deup1 and SAS6. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:ar1. [PMID: 34260288 PMCID: PMC8684742 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-01-0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiciliated cells play critical roles in the airway, reproductive organs, and brain. Generation of multiple cilia requires both activation of a specialized transcriptional program and subsequent massive amplification of centrioles within the cytoplasm. The E2F4 transcription factor is required for both roles and consequently for multiciliogenesis. Here we establish that E2F4 associates with two distinct components of the centriole replication machinery, Deup1 and SAS6, targeting nonhomologous domains in these proteins. We map Deup1 and SAS6 binding to E2F4’s N-terminus and show that this domain is sufficient to mediate E2F4’s cytoplasmic role in multiciliogenesis. This sequence is highly conserved across the E2F family, but the ability to bind Deup1 and SAS6 is specific to E2F4 and E2F5, consistent with their shared roles in multiciliogenesis. By generating E2F4/E2F1 chimeras, we identify a six-residue motif that is critical for Deup1 and SAS6 binding. We propose that the ability of E2F4 and E2F5 to recruit Deup1 and/or SAS6, and enable centriole replication, contributes to their cytoplasmic roles in multiciliogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renin Hazan
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
| | - Munemasa Mori
- Columbia Center for Human Development and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| | - Paul S Danielian
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
| | - Vincent J Guen
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
| | - Seth M Rubin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Wellington V Cardoso
- Columbia Center for Human Development and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY 10032, USA.,Department of Genetics and Development and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
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9
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Wilson MM, Weinberg RA, Lees JA, Guen VJ. Emerging Mechanisms by which EMT Programs Control Stemness. Trends Cancer 2020; 6:775-780. [PMID: 32312682 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Tissue regeneration relies on adult stem cells (SCs) that possess the ability to self-renew and produce differentiating progeny. In an analogous manner, the development of certain cancers depends on a subset of tumor cells, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), with SC-like properties. In addition to being responsible for tumorigenesis, CSCs exhibit elevated resistance to therapy and thus drive tumor relapse post-treatment. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs promote SC and CSC stemness in many epithelial tissues. Here, we provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between stemness and EMT programs, which may represent therapeutic vulnerabilities for the treatment of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly M Wilson
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Weinberg
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vincent J Guen
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de génétique et développement de Rennes)- UMR 6290, F- 35000 Rennes, France.
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10
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Dalin S, Sullivan MR, Lau AN, Grauman-Boss B, Mueller HS, Kreidl E, Fenoglio S, Luengo A, Lees JA, Vander Heiden MG, Lauffenburger DA, Hemann MT. Deoxycytidine Release from Pancreatic Stellate Cells Promotes Gemcitabine Resistance. Cancer Res 2019; 79:5723-5733. [PMID: 31484670 PMCID: PMC7357734 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-0960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The deoxynucleoside analogue gemcitabine is among the most effective therapies to treat PDAC, however, nearly all patients treated with gemcitabine either fail to respond or rapidly develop resistance. One hallmark of PDAC is a striking accumulation of stromal tissue surrounding the tumor, and this accumulation of stroma can contribute to therapy resistance. To better understand how stroma limits response to therapy, we investigated cell-extrinsic mechanisms of resistance to gemcitabine. Conditioned media from pancreatic stellate cells (PSC), as well as from other fibroblasts, protected PDAC cells from gemcitabine toxicity. The protective effect of PSC-conditioned media was mediated by secretion of deoxycytidine, but not other deoxynucleosides, through equilibrative nucleoside transporters. Deoxycytidine inhibited the processing of gemcitabine in PDAC cells, thus reducing the effect of gemcitabine and other nucleoside analogues on cancer cells. These results suggest that reducing deoxycytidine production in PSCs may increase the efficacy of nucleoside analog therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides important new insight into mechanisms that contribute to gemcitabine resistance in PDAC and suggests new avenues for improving gemcitabine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Dalin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Mark R Sullivan
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Allison N Lau
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Beatrice Grauman-Boss
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Helen S Mueller
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Emanuel Kreidl
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Silvia Fenoglio
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Alba Luengo
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew G Vander Heiden
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Douglas A Lauffenburger
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Michael T Hemann
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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11
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Parisi T, Balsamo M, Gertler F, Lees JA. The Rb tumor suppressor regulates epithelial cell migration and polarity. Mol Carcinog 2018; 57:1640-1650. [PMID: 30084175 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Altered cell polarity and migration are hallmarks of cancer and metastases. Here we show that inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene (Rb) tumor suppressor causes defects in tissue closure that reflect the inability of Rb null epithelial cells to efficiently migrate and polarize. These defects occur independently of pRB's anti-proliferative role and instead correlate with upregulation of RhoA signaling and mislocalization of apical-basal polarity proteins. Notably, concomitant inactivation of tp53 specifically overrides the motility defect, and not the aberrant polarity, thereby uncovering previously unappreciated mechanisms by which Rb and tp53 mutations cooperate to promote cancer development and metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Parisi
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Michele Balsamo
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Frank Gertler
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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12
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Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play important roles in the control of fundamental cellular processes. Some of the most characterized CDKs are considered to be pertinent therapeutic targets for cancers and other diseases, and first clinical successes have recently been obtained with CDK inhibitors. Although discovered in the pre-genomic era, CDK10 attracted little attention until it was identified as a major determinant of resistance to endocrine therapy for breast cancer. In some studies, CDK10 has been shown to promote cell proliferation whereas other studies have revealed a tumor suppressor function. The recent discovery of Cyclin M as a CDK10 activating partner has allowed the unveiling of a protein kinase activity against the ETS2 oncoprotein, whose degradation is activated by CDK10/Cyclin M-mediated phosphorylation. CDK10/Cyclin M has also been shown to repress ciliogenesis and to maintain actin network architecture, through the phoshorylation of the PKN2 protein kinase and the control of RhoA stability. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying STAR syndrome, a severe human developmental genetic disorder caused by mutations in the Cyclin M coding gene. They also pave the way to a better understanding of the role of CDK10/Cyclin M in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Guen
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Carly Gamble
- P2I2 Group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Roscoff, France
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Pierre Colas
- P2I2 Group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Roscoff, France
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13
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Perez DE, Henle AM, Amsterdam A, Hagen HR, Lees JA. Uveal melanoma driver mutations in GNAQ/11 yield numerous changes in melanocyte biology. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2018; 31:604-613. [PMID: 29570931 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular cancer and has a high incidence of metastasis, which lacks any effective treatment. Here, we present zebrafish models of UM, which are driven by melanocyte-specific expression of activating GNAQ or GNA11 alleles, GNAQ/11Q209L , the predominant initiating mutations for human UM. When combined with mutant tp53, GNAQ/11Q209L transgenics develop various melanocytic tumors, including UM, with near complete penetrance. These tumors display nuclear YAP localization and thus phenocopy human UM. We show that GNAQ/11Q209L expression induces profound melanocyte defects independent of tp53 mutation, which are apparent within 3 days of development. First, increases in melanocyte number, melanin content, and subcellular melanin distribution result in hyperpigmentation. Additionally, altered melanocyte migration, survival properties, and evasion of normal boundary cues lead to aberrant melanocyte localization and stripe patterning. Collectively, these data show that GNAQ/11Q209L is sufficient to induce numerous protumorigenic changes within melanocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahlia E Perez
- Department of Biology and The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrea M Henle
- Department of Biology and The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Biology Department, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, USA
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- Department of Biology and The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hannah R Hagen
- Department of Biology and The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Department of Biology and The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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14
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Guen VJ, Edvardson S, Fraenkel ND, Fattal-Valevski A, Jalas C, Anteby I, Shaag A, Dor T, Gillis D, Kerem E, Lees JA, Colas P, Elpeleg O. A homozygous deleterious CDK10 mutation in a patient with agenesis of corpus callosum, retinopathy, and deafness. Am J Med Genet A 2017; 176:92-98. [PMID: 29130579 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The primary cilium is a key organelle in numerous physiological and developmental processes. Genetic defects in the formation of this non-motile structure, in its maintenance and function, underlie a wide array of ciliopathies in human, including craniofacial, brain and heart malformations, and retinal and hearing defects. We used exome sequencing to study the molecular basis of disease in an 11-year-old female patient who suffered from growth retardation, global developmental delay with absent speech acquisition, agenesis of corpus callosum and paucity of white matter, sensorineural deafness, retinitis pigmentosa, vertebral anomalies, patent ductus arteriosus, and facial dysmorphism reminiscent of STAR syndrome, a suspected ciliopathy. A homozygous variant, c.870_871del, was identified in the CDK10 gene, predicted to cause a frameshift, p.Trp291Alafs*18, in the cyclin-dependent kinase 10 protein. CDK10 mRNAs were detected in patient cells and do not seem to undergo non-sense mediated decay. CDK10 is the binding partner of Cyclin M (CycM) and CDK10/CycM protein kinase regulates ciliogenesis and primary cilium elongation. Notably, CycM gene is mutated in patients with STAR syndrome. Following incubation, the patient cells appeared less elongated and more densely populated than the control cells suggesting that the CDK10 mutation affects the cytoskeleton. Upon starvation and staining with acetylated-tubulin, γ-tubulin, and Arl13b, the patient cells exhibited fewer and shorter cilia than control cells. These findings underscore the importance of CDK10 for the regulation of ciliogenesis. CDK10 defect is likely associated with a new form of ciliopathy phenotype; additional patients may further validate this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Guen
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Simon Edvardson
- Monique and Jacques Roboh Department of Genetic Research, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Pediatric Neurology Unit, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nitay D Fraenkel
- Department of Respiratory Rehabilitation, Alyn Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aviva Fattal-Valevski
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Chaim Jalas
- Bonei Olam, Center for Rare Jewish Genetic Disorders, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Irene Anteby
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Avraham Shaag
- Monique and Jacques Roboh Department of Genetic Research, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Talia Dor
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Gillis
- Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eitan Kerem
- Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Pierre Colas
- P2I2 Group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Roscoff, France
| | - Orly Elpeleg
- Monique and Jacques Roboh Department of Genetic Research, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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15
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Braun CJ, Stanciu M, Boutz PL, Patterson JC, Calligaris D, Higuchi F, Neupane R, Fenoglio S, Cahill DP, Wakimoto H, Agar NYR, Yaffe MB, Sharp PA, Hemann MT, Lees JA. Coordinated Splicing of Regulatory Detained Introns within Oncogenic Transcripts Creates an Exploitable Vulnerability in Malignant Glioma. Cancer Cell 2017; 32:411-426.e11. [PMID: 28966034 PMCID: PMC5929990 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating malignancy with few therapeutic options. We identify PRMT5 in an in vivo GBM shRNA screen and show that PRMT5 knockdown or inhibition potently suppresses in vivo GBM tumors, including patient-derived xenografts. Pathway analysis implicates splicing in cellular PRMT5 dependency, and we identify a biomarker that predicts sensitivity to PRMT5 inhibition. We find that PRMT5 deficiency primarily disrupts the removal of detained introns (DIs). This impaired DI splicing affects proliferation genes, whose downregulation coincides with cell cycle defects, senescence and/or apoptosis. We further show that DI programs are evolutionarily conserved and operate during neurogenesis, suggesting that they represent a physiological regulatory mechanism. Collectively, these findings reveal a PRMT5-regulated DI-splicing program as an exploitable cancer vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Braun
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Monica Stanciu
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Paul L Boutz
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jesse C Patterson
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David Calligaris
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fumi Higuchi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rachit Neupane
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Silvia Fenoglio
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Daniel P Cahill
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hiroaki Wakimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nathalie Y R Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael B Yaffe
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Acute Care Surgery, Trauma, and Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Phillip A Sharp
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michael T Hemann
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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16
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Mori M, Hazan R, Danielian PS, Mahoney JE, Li H, Lu J, Miller ES, Zhu X, Lees JA, Cardoso WV. Cytoplasmic E2f4 forms organizing centres for initiation of centriole amplification during multiciliogenesis. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15857. [PMID: 28675157 PMCID: PMC5500891 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal development of multiciliated cells is a hallmark of a variety of human
conditions associated with chronic airway diseases, hydrocephalus and infertility.
Multiciliogenesis requires both activation of a specialized transcriptional program
and assembly of cytoplasmic structures for large-scale centriole amplification that
generates basal bodies. It remains unclear, however, what mechanism initiates
formation of these multiprotein complexes in epithelial progenitors. Here we show
that this is triggered by nucleocytoplasmic translocation of the transcription
factor E2f4. After inducing a transcriptional program of centriole biogenesis, E2f4
forms apical cytoplasmic organizing centres for assembly and nucleation of
deuterosomes. Using genetically altered mice and E2F4 mutant proteins we demonstrate
that centriole amplification is crucially dependent on these organizing centres and
that, without cytoplasmic E2f4, deuterosomes are not assembled, halting
multiciliogenesis. Thus, E2f4 integrates nuclear and previously unsuspected
cytoplasmic events of centriole amplification, providing new perspectives for the
understanding of normal ciliogenesis, ciliopathies and cancer. Multiciliogenesis requires activation of transcriptional and protein assembly
programs; however, the mechanisms that initiate the formation of these multiprotein
complexes are unclear. Here the authors show that after inducing centriole biogenesis
genes, the transcription factor E2f4 is required in the cytoplasm for assembly and
nucleation of deuterosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munemasa Mori
- Columbia Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Allergy Critical Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Renin Hazan
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Paul S Danielian
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - John E Mahoney
- Columbia Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Allergy Critical Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Huijun Li
- Columbia Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Allergy Critical Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Jining Lu
- Columbia Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Allergy Critical Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, New York 10032, USA
| | - Emily S Miller
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Xueliang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Wellington V Cardoso
- Columbia Center for Human Development, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Allergy Critical Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, New York 10032, USA
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17
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Kremer PHC, Lees JA, Koopmans MM, Ferwerda B, Arends AWM, Feller MM, Schipper K, Valls Seron M, van der Ende A, Brouwer MC, van de Beek D, Bentley SD. Benzalkonium tolerance genes and outcome in Listeria monocytogenes meningitis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017; 23:265.e1-265.e7. [PMID: 27998823 PMCID: PMC5392494 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that can cause meningitis. The listerial genotype ST6 has been linked to increasing rates of unfavourable outcome over time. We investigated listerial genetic variation and the relation with clinical outcome in meningitis. METHODS We sequenced 96 isolates from adults with listerial meningitis included in two prospective nationwide cohort studies by whole genome sequencing, and evaluated associations between bacterial genetic variation and clinical outcome. We validated these results by screening listerial genotypes of 445 cerebrospinal fluid and blood isolates from patients over a 30-year period from the Dutch national surveillance cohort. RESULTS We identified a bacteriophage, phiLMST6 co-occurring with a novel plasmid, pLMST6, in ST6 isolates to be associated with unfavourable outcome in patients (p 2.83e-05). The plasmid carries a benzalkonium chloride tolerance gene, emrC, conferring decreased susceptibility to disinfectants used in the food-processing industry. Isolates harbouring emrC were growth inhibited at higher levels of benzalkonium chloride (median 60 mg/L versus 15 mg/L; p <0.001), and had higher MICs for amoxicillin and gentamicin compared with isolates without emrC (both p <0.001). Transformation of pLMST6 into naive strains led to benzalkonium chloride tolerance and higher MICs for gentamicin. CONCLUSIONS These results show that a novel plasmid, carrying the efflux transporter emrC, is associated with increased incidence of ST6 listerial meningitis in the Netherlands. Suggesting increased disease severity, our findings warrant consideration of disinfectants used in the food-processing industry that select for resistance mechanisms and may, inadvertently, lead to increased risk of poor disease outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H C Kremer
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J A Lees
- Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - M M Koopmans
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - B Ferwerda
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A W M Arends
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Academic Medical Centre/RIVM, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M M Feller
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Academic Medical Centre/RIVM, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - K Schipper
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Academic Medical Centre/RIVM, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Valls Seron
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A van der Ende
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Academic Medical Centre/RIVM, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M C Brouwer
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D van de Beek
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - S D Bentley
- Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
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18
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Guen VJ, Gamble C, Perez DE, Bourassa S, Zappel H, Gärtner J, Lees JA, Colas P. STAR syndrome-associated CDK10/Cyclin M regulates actin network architecture and ciliogenesis. Cell Cycle 2016; 15:678-88. [PMID: 27104747 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2016.1147632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
CDK10/CycM is a protein kinase deficient in STAR (toe Syndactyly, Telecanthus and Anogenital and Renal malformations) syndrome, which results from mutations in the X-linked FAM58A gene encoding Cyclin M. The biological functions of CDK10/CycM and etiology of STAR syndrome are poorly understood. Here, we report that deficiency of CDK10/Cyclin M promotes assembly and elongation of primary cilia. We establish that this reflects a key role for CDK10/Cyclin M in regulation of actin network organization, which is known to govern ciliogenesis. In an unbiased screen, we identified the RhoA-associated kinase PKN2 as a CDK10/CycM phosphorylation substrate. We establish that PKN2 is a bone fide regulator of ciliogenesis, acting in a similar manner to CDK10/CycM. We discovered that CDK10/Cyclin M binds and phosphorylates PKN2 on threonines 121 and 124, within PKN2's core RhoA-binding domain. Furthermore, we demonstrate that deficiencies in CDK10/CycM or PKN2, or expression of a non-phosphorylatable version of PKN2, destabilize both the RhoA protein and the actin network architecture. Importantly, we established that ectopic expression of RhoA is sufficient to override the induction of ciliogenesis resulting from CDK10/CycM knockdown, indicating that RhoA regulation is critical for CDK10/CycM's negative effect on ciliogenesis. Finally, we show that kidney sections from a STAR patient display dilated renal tubules and abnormal, elongated cilia. Altogether, these results reveal CDK10/CycM as a key regulator of actin dynamics and a suppressor of ciliogenesis through phosphorylation of PKN2 and promotion of RhoA signaling. Moreover, they suggest that STAR syndrome is a ciliopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent J Guen
- a P2I2 group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) , Roscoff , France.,b David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Carly Gamble
- a P2I2 group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) , Roscoff , France
| | - Dahlia E Perez
- b David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Sylvie Bourassa
- c Proteomics Platform, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ) , Québec , Canada
| | - Hildegard Zappel
- d Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Division of Neuropediatrics , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Jutta Gärtner
- d Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Division of Neuropediatrics , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- b David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Pierre Colas
- a P2I2 group, Protein Phosphorylation and Human Disease Laboratory, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) , Roscoff , France
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19
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Abstract
The E2F transcription factors are primarily implicated in the regulation of entry and exit from the cell cycle. However, in vivo studies have established additional roles for E2Fs during organ development and homeostasis. With the goal of addressing the intestinal requirements of E2f4 and E2f5, we crossed mice carrying Vil-cre, E2f4 conditional and E2f5 germline alleles. E2f4 deletion had no detectable effect on intestinal development. However, E2f4f/f;E2f5+/-;Vil-cre males, but not E2f4f/f;Vil-cre littermates, were unexpectedly sterile. This defect was not due to defective spermatogenesis. Instead, the seminiferous tubules and rete testes showed significant dilation, and spermatozoa accumulated aberrantly in the rete testis and efferent ducts. Our data show that these problems result from defective efferent ducts, a tissue whose primary function is to concentrate sperm through fluid absorption. First, Vil-cre expression, and consequent E2F4 loss, was specific to the efferent ducts and not other reproductive tract tissues. Second, the E2f4f/f;E2f5+/-;Vil-cre efferent ducts had completely lost multiciliated cells and greatly reduced levels of critical absorptive cell proteins: aquaporin1, a water channel protein, and clusterin, an endocytic marker. Collectively, the observed testis phenotypes suggest a fluid flux defect. Remarkably, we observed rete testis dilation prior to the normal time of seminiferous fluid production, arguing that the efferent duct defects promote excessive secretory activity within the reproductive tract. Finally, we also detect key aspects of these testis defects in E2f5-/- mice. Thus, we conclude that E2f4 and E2f5 display overlapping roles in controlling the normal development of the male reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Danielian
- a David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Rex A Hess
- b Reproductive Biology & Toxicology , Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- a David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA , USA
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20
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Ferretti R, Bhutkar A, McNamara MC, Lees JA. BMI1 induces an invasive signature in melanoma that promotes metastasis and chemoresistance. Genes Dev 2016; 30:18-33. [PMID: 26679841 PMCID: PMC4701976 DOI: 10.1101/gad.267757.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma can switch between proliferative and invasive states, which have identifying gene expression signatures that correlate with good and poor prognosis, respectively. However, the mechanisms controlling these signatures are poorly understood. In this study, we identify BMI1 as a key determinant of melanoma metastasis by which its overexpression enhanced and its deletion impaired dissemination. Remarkably, in this tumor type, BMI1 had no effect on proliferation or primary tumor growth but enhanced every step of the metastatic cascade. Consistent with the broad spectrum of effects, BMI1 activated widespread gene expression changes, which are characteristic of melanoma progression and also chemoresistance. Accordingly, we showed that up-regulation or down-regulation of BMI1 induced resistance or sensitivity to BRAF inhibitor treatment and that induction of noncanonical Wnt by BMI1 is required for this resistance. Finally, we showed that our BMI1-induced gene signature encompasses all of the hallmarks of the previously described melanoma invasive signature. Moreover, our signature is predictive of poor prognosis in human melanoma and is able to identify primary tumors that are likely to become metastatic. These data yield key insights into melanoma biology and establish BMI1 as a compelling drug target whose inhibition would suppress both metastasis and chemoresistance of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ferretti
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Arjun Bhutkar
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Molly C McNamara
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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21
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Nicolay BN, Danielian PS, Kottakis F, Lapek JD, Sanidas I, Miles WO, Dehnad M, Tschöp K, Gierut JJ, Manning AL, Morris R, Haigis K, Bardeesy N, Lees JA, Haas W, Dyson NJ. Proteomic analysis of pRb loss highlights a signature of decreased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Genes Dev 2015; 29:1875-89. [PMID: 26314710 PMCID: PMC4573859 DOI: 10.1101/gad.264127.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nicolay et al. ablated Rb in adult mice and conducted a quantitative analysis of RNA and proteomic changes in the colon and lungs. The proteomic changes in common between RbKO tissues showed a striking decrease in proteins with mitochondrial functions, highlighting the importance of pRb for mitochondrial function. The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (pRb) protein associates with chromatin and regulates gene expression. Numerous studies have identified Rb-dependent RNA signatures, but the proteomic effects of Rb loss are largely unexplored. We acutely ablated Rb in adult mice and conducted a quantitative analysis of RNA and proteomic changes in the colon and lungs, where RbKO was sufficient or insufficient to induce ectopic proliferation, respectively. As expected, RbKO caused similar increases in classic pRb/E2F-regulated transcripts in both tissues, but, unexpectedly, their protein products increased only in the colon, consistent with its increased proliferative index. Thus, these protein changes induced by Rb loss are coupled with proliferation but uncoupled from transcription. The proteomic changes in common between RbKO tissues showed a striking decrease in proteins with mitochondrial functions. Accordingly, RB1 inactivation in human cells decreased both mitochondrial mass and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) function. RBKO cells showed decreased mitochondrial respiratory capacity and the accumulation of hypopolarized mitochondria. Additionally, RB/Rb loss altered mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation from 13C-glucose through the TCA cycle in mouse tissues and cultured cells. Consequently, RBKO cells have an enhanced sensitivity to mitochondrial stress conditions. In summary, proteomic analyses provide a new perspective on Rb/RB1 mutation, highlighting the importance of pRb for mitochondrial function and suggesting vulnerabilities for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon N Nicolay
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Paul S Danielian
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Filippos Kottakis
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - John D Lapek
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Ioannis Sanidas
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Wayne O Miles
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Mantre Dehnad
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA; University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584CX, Netherlands
| | - Katrin Tschöp
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Jessica J Gierut
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Amity L Manning
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Robert Morris
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Kevin Haigis
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Nabeel Bardeesy
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Wilhelm Haas
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Nicholas J Dyson
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
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22
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Percival SM, Thomas HR, Amsterdam A, Carroll AJ, Lees JA, Yost HJ, Parant JM. Variations in dysfunction of sister chromatid cohesion in esco2 mutant zebrafish reflect the phenotypic diversity of Roberts syndrome. Dis Model Mech 2015; 8:941-55. [PMID: 26044958 PMCID: PMC4527282 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.019059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in ESCO2, one of two establishment of cohesion factors necessary for proper sister chromatid cohesion (SCC), cause a spectrum of developmental defects in the autosomal-recessive disorder Roberts syndrome (RBS), warranting in vivo analysis of the consequence of cohesion dysfunction. Through a genetic screen in zebrafish targeting embryonic-lethal mutants that have increased genomic instability, we have identified an esco2 mutant zebrafish. Utilizing the natural transparency of zebrafish embryos, we have developed a novel technique to observe chromosome dynamics within a single cell during mitosis in a live vertebrate embryo. Within esco2 mutant embryos, we observed premature chromatid separation, a unique chromosome scattering, prolonged mitotic delay, and genomic instability in the form of anaphase bridges and micronuclei formation. Cytogenetic studies indicated complete chromatid separation and high levels of aneuploidy within mutant embryos. Amongst aneuploid spreads, we predominantly observed decreases in chromosome number, suggesting that either cells with micronuclei or micronuclei themselves are eliminated. We also demonstrated that the genomic instability leads to p53-dependent neural tube apoptosis. Surprisingly, although many cells required Esco2 to establish cohesion, 10-20% of cells had only weakened cohesion in the absence of Esco2, suggesting that compensatory cohesion mechanisms exist in these cells that undergo a normal mitotic division. These studies provide a unique in vivo vertebrate view of the mitotic defects and consequences of cohesion establishment loss, and they provide a compensation-based model to explain the RBS phenotypes. Summary:In vivo analysis of zebrafish esco2 mutants reveals extensive genomic instability and activation of DNA-damage-response pathways, although some cells have compensatory cohesion and divide normally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie M Percival
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Holly R Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrew J Carroll
- Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - H Joseph Yost
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - John M Parant
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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23
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McFaline-Figueroa JL, Braun CJ, Stanciu M, Nagel ZD, Mazzucato P, Sangaraju D, Cerniauskas E, Barford K, Vargas A, Chen Y, Tretyakova N, Lees JA, Hemann MT, White FM, Samson LD. Minor Changes in Expression of the Mismatch Repair Protein MSH2 Exert a Major Impact on Glioblastoma Response to Temozolomide. Cancer Res 2015; 75:3127-38. [PMID: 26025730 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-3616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is often treated with the cytotoxic drug temozolomide, but the disease inevitably recurs in a drug-resistant form after initial treatment. Here, we report that in GBM cells, even a modest decrease in the mismatch repair (MMR) components MSH2 and MSH6 have profound effects on temozolomide sensitivity. RNAi-mediated attenuation of MSH2 and MSH6 showed that such modest decreases provided an unexpectedly strong mechanism of temozolomide resistance. In a mouse xenograft model of human GBM, small changes in MSH2 were sufficient to suppress temozolomide-induced tumor regression. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas to analyze mRNA expression patterns in tumors from temozolomide-treated GBM patients, we found that MSH2 transcripts in primary GBM could predict patient responses to initial temozolomide therapy. In recurrent disease, the absence of microsatellite instability (the standard marker for MMR deficiency) suggests a lack of involvement of MMR in the resistant phenotype of recurrent disease. However, more recent studies reveal that decreased MMR protein levels occur often in recurrent GBM. In accordance with our findings, these reported decreases may constitute a mechanism by which GBM evades temozolomide sensitivity while maintaining microsatellite stability. Overall, our results highlight the powerful effects of MSH2 attenuation as a potent mediator of temozolomide resistance and argue that MMR activity offers a predictive marker for initial therapeutic response to temozolomide treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L McFaline-Figueroa
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Christian J Braun
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Monica Stanciu
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Zachary D Nagel
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Patrizia Mazzucato
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Dewakar Sangaraju
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Edvinas Cerniauskas
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kelly Barford
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Amanda Vargas
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yimin Chen
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Jacqueline A Lees
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Michael T Hemann
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Forest M White
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Leona D Samson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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24
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25
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Ferretti R, Lees JA. Abstract C11: Molecular mechanism driving BMI1-induced melanoma metastasis. Cancer Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.fbcr13-c11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive human cancers, with a high potential for lethal metastasis and therapeutic resistance. The epigenetic chromatin regulator Bmi1 acts as a key component of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 1 (PRC1) and is a known oncogene. Various studies shown that BMI1 is highly expressed in many human hematopoietic malignancies and in different solid tumor types including prostate, breast, ovarian, colon, brain and lung cancer. Importantly, high Bmi1 expression is an excellent predictor of both metastatic progression and poor therapeutic response. Bmi1's role in tumor onset has been assessed using germline mutant mice showing that Bmi1 ablation efficiently suppress tumor development. This impaired tumorigenicity correlates with an impairment of the self-renewal and proliferative properties of tumor initiating cells, mainly due to Bmi1's repressive activity on the Ink4a/Arf tumor suppressor locus. Nevertheless, this function does not explain why Bmi1 is frequently upregulated in tumors nor Bmi1's role in tumor progression.
To evaluate Bmi1's contribution to melanoma progression, we upregulated Bmi1 in two different melanoma cell lines, a murine metastatic cell line and a poorly metastatic human cell line. We found that Bmi1 overexpression activates or increases invasive behavior of both cell lines, without enhancing their proliferative capacity. This finding allowed us to dissect Bmi1's oncogenic activity at later stages of tumorigenesis, in the absence of Bmi1's deregulation of cell proliferation. Our data show that Bmi1 significantly enhances in vitro cell movement and modulates adhesion. Bmi1 also protects cells from apoptosis induced by different stimuli and increases lung metastasis formation in vivo.
To characterize Bmi1-induced changes in gene expression, we have performed comparative deep sequencing of total RNA libraries generated from Bmi1 or GFP overexpressing cells. Gene ontology analysis revealed enrichment in cancer-relevant pathways that seem to be controlled by Bmi1, including cell movement, cell death and survival, tissue development and cell morphology. In particular, Bmi1 expression modulates the gene regulatory programs associated with EMT, TGFβ and the non-canonical Wnt pathways. We have identified a new Bmi1 target gene, poorly characterized, that seems to be responsible for Bmi1-induced melanoma progression. These data determine a causal role for Bmi1 in melanoma cell migration and establishment of distant melanoma metastasis.
Citation Format: Roberta Ferretti, Jacqueline A. Lees. Molecular mechanism driving BMI1-induced melanoma metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; Sep 18-22, 2013; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(19 Suppl):Abstract nr C11.
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26
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Zhang G, Hoersch S, Amsterdam A, Whittaker CA, Beert E, Catchen JM, Farrington S, Postlethwait JH, Legius E, Hopkins N, Lees JA. Comparative oncogenomic analysis of copy number alterations in human and zebrafish tumors enables cancer driver discovery. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003734. [PMID: 24009526 PMCID: PMC3757083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of cancer drivers is a major goal of current cancer research. Finding driver genes within large chromosomal events is especially challenging because such alterations encompass many genes. Previously, we demonstrated that zebrafish malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are highly aneuploid, much like human tumors. In this study, we examined 147 zebrafish MPNSTs by massively parallel sequencing and identified both large and focal copy number alterations (CNAs). Given the low degree of conserved synteny between fish and mammals, we reasoned that comparative analyses of CNAs from fish versus human MPNSTs would enable elimination of a large proportion of passenger mutations, especially on large CNAs. We established a list of orthologous genes between human and zebrafish, which includes approximately two-thirds of human protein-coding genes. For the subset of these genes found in human MPNST CNAs, only one quarter of their orthologues were co-gained or co-lost in zebrafish, dramatically narrowing the list of candidate cancer drivers for both focal and large CNAs. We conclude that zebrafish-human comparative analysis represents a powerful, and broadly applicable, tool to enrich for evolutionarily conserved cancer drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- GuangJun Zhang
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sebastian Hoersch
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Bioinformatics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Charles A. Whittaker
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eline Beert
- Department of Human Genetics, Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julian M. Catchen
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Sarah Farrington
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John H. Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Eric Legius
- Department of Human Genetics, Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nancy Hopkins
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Landman AS, Danielian PS, Lees JA. Loss of pRB and p107 disrupts cartilage development and promotes enchondroma formation. Oncogene 2012; 32:4798-805. [PMID: 23146901 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The pocket proteins pRB, p107 and p130 have established roles in regulating the cell cycle through the control of E2F activity. The pocket proteins regulate differentiation of a number of tissues in both cell cycle-dependent and -independent manners. Prior studies showed that mutation of p107 and p130 in the mouse leads to defects in cartilage development during endochondral ossification, the process by which long bones form. Despite evidence of a role for pRB in osteoblast differentiation, it is unknown whether it functions during cartilage development. Here, we show that mutation of Rb in the early mesenchyme of p107-mutant mice results in severe cartilage defects in the growth plates of long bones. This is attributable to inappropriate chondrocyte proliferation that persists after birth and leads to the formation of enchondromas in the growth plates as early as 8 weeks of age. Genetic crosses show that development of these tumorigenic lesions is E2f3 dependent. These results reveal an overlapping role for pRB and p107 in cartilage development, endochondral ossification and enchondroma formation that reflects their coordination of cell-cycle exit at appropriate developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Landman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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28
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Ravi A, Gurtan AM, Kumar MS, Bhutkar A, Chin C, Lu V, Lees JA, Jacks T, Sharp PA. Proliferation and tumorigenesis of a murine sarcoma cell line in the absence of DICER1. Cancer Cell 2012; 21:848-55. [PMID: 22698408 PMCID: PMC3385871 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2011] [Revised: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are a class of short ~22 nucleotide RNAs predicted to regulate nearly half of all protein coding genes, including many involved in basal cellular processes and organismal development. Although a global reduction in miRNAs is commonly observed in various human tumors, complete loss has not been documented, suggesting an essential function for miRNAs in tumorigenesis. Here we present the finding that transformed or immortalized Dicer1 null somatic cells can be isolated readily in vitro, maintain the characteristics of DICER1-expressing controls and remain stably proliferative. Furthermore, Dicer1 null cells from a sarcoma cell line, though depleted of miRNAs, are competent for tumor formation. Hence, miRNA levels in cancer may be maintained in vivo by a complex stabilizing selection in the intratumoral environment.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/pharmacology
- Blotting, Northern
- Blotting, Western
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cells, Cultured
- DEAD-box RNA Helicases/deficiency
- DEAD-box RNA Helicases/genetics
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/genetics
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Ribonuclease III/deficiency
- Ribonuclease III/genetics
- Sarcoma/genetics
- Sarcoma/metabolism
- Sarcoma/pathology
- Tamoxifen/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Ravi
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Allan M. Gurtan
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Madhu S. Kumar
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arjun Bhutkar
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Christine Chin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Victoria Lu
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tyler Jacks
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Phillip A. Sharp
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed.
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29
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Miller ES, Berman SD, Yuan TL, Lees JA. Disruption of calvarial ossification in E2f4 mutant embryos correlates with increased proliferation and progenitor cell populations. Cell Cycle 2011; 9:2620-8. [PMID: 20581455 DOI: 10.4161/cc.9.13.12108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The E2F family of transcription factors, in association with pocket protein family members, are important for regulating genes required for cellular proliferation. The most abundant E2F, E2F4, is implicated in maintaining the G(0)/G(1) cell cycle state via transcriptional repression of genes that encode proteins required for S-phase progression. Here, we investigate E2F4's role in bone development using E2f4 germline mutant mice. We find that mutation of E2f4 impairs the formation of several bones that arise through intramembranous or endochondral ossification. The most severe defect occurred in the calvarial bones of the skull where we observed a striking delay in their ossification. In vivo and in vitro analyses established that E2F4 loss did not block the intrinsic differentiation potential of calvarial osteoblast progenitors. However, our data showed that E2f4 mutation elevated proliferation in the developing calvaria in vivo and it increased the endogenous pool of undifferentiated progenitor cells. These data suggest that E2F4 plays an important role in enabling osteoblast progenitors to exit the cell cycle and subsequently differentiate thereby contributing to the commitment of these cells to the bone lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Miller
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
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30
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Zhang G, Hoersch S, Amsterdam A, Whittaker CA, Lees JA, Hopkins N. Highly aneuploid zebrafish malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors have genetic alterations similar to human cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:16940-5. [PMID: 20837522 PMCID: PMC2947874 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1011548107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is a hallmark of human cancers, but most mouse cancer models lack the extensive aneuploidy seen in many human tumors. The zebrafish is becoming an increasingly popular model for studying cancer. Here we report that malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) that arise in zebrafish as a result of mutations in either ribosomal protein (rp) genes or in p53 are highly aneuploid. Karyotyping reveals that these tumors frequently harbor near-triploid numbers of chromosomes, and they vary in chromosome number from cell to cell within a single tumor. Using array comparative genomic hybridization, we found that, as in human cancers, certain fish chromosomes are preferentially overrepresented, whereas others are underrepresented in many MPNSTs. In addition, we obtained evidence for recurrent subchromosomal amplifications and deletions that may contain genes involved in cancer initiation or progression. These focal amplifications encompassed several genes whose amplification is observed in human tumors, including met, cyclinD2, slc45a3, and cdk6. One focal amplification included fgf6a. Increasing fgf signaling via a mutation that overexpresses fgf8 accelerated the onset of MPNSTs in fish bearing a mutation in p53, suggesting that fgf6a itself may be a driver of MPNSTs. Our results suggest that the zebrafish is a useful model in which to study aneuploidy in human cancer and in which to identify candidate genes that may act as drivers in fish and potentially also in human tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- GuangJun Zhang
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Sebastian Hoersch
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
- Bioinformatics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Amsterdam
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Charles A. Whittaker
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Nancy Hopkins
- Department of Biology and David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
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31
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Calo E, Quintero-Estades JA, Danielian PS, Nedelcu S, Berman SD, Lees JA. Rb regulates fate choice and lineage commitment in vivo. Nature 2010; 466:1110-4. [PMID: 20686481 PMCID: PMC2933655 DOI: 10.1038/nature09264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2010] [Accepted: 06/07/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mutation of the retinoblastoma gene (RB1) tumour suppressor occurs in one-third of all human tumours and is particularly associated with retinoblastoma and osteosarcoma. Numerous functions have been ascribed to the product of the human RB1 gene, the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). The best known is pRb's ability to promote cell-cycle exit through inhibition of the E2F transcription factors and the transcriptional repression of genes encoding cell-cycle regulators. In addition, pRb has been shown in vitro to regulate several transcription factors that are master differentiation inducers. Depending on the differentiation factor and cellular context, pRb can either suppress or promote their transcriptional activity. For example, pRb binds to Runx2 and potentiates its ability to promote osteogenic differentiation in vitro. In contrast, pRb acts with E2F to suppress peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma subunit (PPAR-gamma), the master activator of adipogenesis. Because osteoblasts and adipocytes can both arise from mesenchymal stem cells, these observations suggest that pRb might play a role in the choice between these two fates. However, so far, there is no evidence for this in vivo. Here we use mouse models to address this hypothesis in mesenchymal tissue development and tumorigenesis. Our data show that Rb status plays a key role in establishing fate choice between bone and brown adipose tissue in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliezer Calo
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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32
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Sansam CL, Cruz NM, Danielian PS, Amsterdam A, Lau ML, Hopkins N, Lees JA. A vertebrate gene, ticrr, is an essential checkpoint and replication regulator. Genes Dev 2010; 24:183-94. [PMID: 20080954 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1860310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotes have numerous checkpoint pathways to protect genome fidelity during normal cell division and in response to DNA damage. Through a screen for G2/M checkpoint regulators in zebrafish, we identified ticrr (for TopBP1-interacting, checkpoint, and replication regulator), a previously uncharacterized gene that is required to prevent mitotic entry after treatment with ionizing radiation. Ticrr deficiency is embryonic-lethal in the absence of exogenous DNA damage because it is essential for normal cell cycle progression. Specifically, the loss of ticrr impairs DNA replication and disrupts the S/M checkpoint, leading to premature mitotic entry and mitotic catastrophe. We show that the human TICRR ortholog associates with TopBP1, a known checkpoint protein and a core component of the DNA replication preinitiation complex (pre-IC), and that the TICRR-TopBP1 interaction is stable without chromatin and requires BRCT motifs essential for TopBP1's replication and checkpoint functions. Most importantly, we find that ticrr deficiency disrupts chromatin binding of pre-IC, but not prereplication complex, components. Taken together, our data show that TICRR acts in association with TopBP1 and plays an essential role in pre-IC formation. It remains to be determined whether Ticrr represents the vertebrate ortholog of the yeast pre-IC component Sld3, or a hitherto unknown metazoan replication and checkpoint regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Sansam
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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33
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Abstract
The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein pRB functions, at least in part, by directly binding to and modulating the activity of the E2F transcription factors. Previous studies have shown that both E2F4 and pRB play important roles in fetal erythropoiesis. Given that these two proteins interact directly we investigated the overlap of E2F4 and pRB function in this process by analyzing E2f4(-/-), conditional Rb knockout (Rb(1lox/1lox)), and compound E2f4(-/-);Rb(1lox/1lox) embryos. At E15.5 E2f4(-/-) and Rb(1lox/1lox) fetal erythroid cells display distinct abnormalities in their differentiation profiles. When cultured in vitro, both E2f4(-/-) and Rb(1lox/1lox) erythroid cells show defects in cell cycle progression. Surprisingly, analysis of cell cycle profiling suggests that E2F4 and pRB control cell cycle exit through different mechanisms. Moreover, only pRB, but not E2F4, promotes cell survival in erythroid cells. We observed an additive rather than a synergistic impact upon the erythroid defects in the compound E2f4(-/-);Rb(1lox/1lox) embryos. We further found that fetal liver macrophage development is largely normal regardless of genotype. Taken together, our results show that E2F4 and pRB play independent cell-intrinsic roles in fetal erythropoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
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34
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Amsterdam A, Lai K, Komisarczuk AZ, Becker TS, Bronson RT, Hopkins N, Lees JA. Zebrafish Hagoromo mutants up-regulate fgf8 postembryonically and develop neuroblastoma. Mol Cancer Res 2009; 7:841-50. [PMID: 19531571 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-08-0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We screened an existing collection of zebrafish insertional mutants for cancer susceptibility by histologic examination of heterozygotes at 2 years of age. As most mutants had no altered cancer predisposition, this provided the first comprehensive description of spontaneous tumor spectrum and frequency in adult zebrafish. Moreover, the screen identified four lines, each carrying a different dominant mutant allele of Hagoromo previously linked to adult pigmentation defects, which develop tumors with high penetrance and that histologically resemble neuroblastoma. These tumors are clearly neural in origin, although they do not express catecholaminergic neuronal markers characteristic of human neuroblastoma. The zebrafish tumors result from inappropriate maintenance of a cell population within the cranial ganglia that are likely neural precursors. These neoplasias typically remain small but they can become highly aggressive, initially traveling along cranial nerves, and ultimately filling the head. The developmental origin of these tumors is highly reminiscent of human neuroblastoma. The four mutant Hagoromo alleles all contain viral insertions in the fbxw4 gene, which encodes an F-box WD40 domain-containing protein. However, although one allele clearly reduced the levels of fbxw4 mRNA, the other three insertions had no detectable effect on fbw4 expression. Instead, we showed that all four mutations result in the postembryonic up-regulation of the neighboring gene, fibroblast growth factor 8 (fgf8). Moreover, fgf8 is highly expressed in the tumorigenic lesions. Although fgf8 overexpression is known to be associated with breast and prostate cancer in mammals, this study provides the first evidence that fgf8 misregulation can lead to neural tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Amsterdam
- David H. Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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35
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Lee EY, Yuan TL, Danielian PS, West JC, Lees JA. E2F4 cooperates with pRB in the development of extra-embryonic tissues. Dev Biol 2009; 332:104-15. [PMID: 19433082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.05.541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2008] [Revised: 04/09/2009] [Accepted: 05/04/2009] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma gene, RB-1, was the first identified tumor suppressor. Rb(-/-) mice die in mid-gestation with defects in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The activating E2F transcription factors, E2F1-3, contribute to these embryonic defects, indicating that they are key downstream targets of the retinoblastoma protein, pRB. E2F4 is the major pRB-associated E2F in vivo, yet its role in Rb(-/-) embryos is unknown. Here we establish that E2f4 deficiency reduced the lifespan of Rb(-/-) embryos by exacerbating the Rb mutant placental defect. We further show that this reflects the accumulation of trophectoderm-like cells in both Rb and Rb;E2f4 mutant placentas. Thus, Rb and E2f4 play cooperative roles in placental development. We used a conditional mouse model to allow Rb(-/-);E2f4(-/-) embryos to develop in the presence of Rb wild-type placentas. Under these conditions, Rb(-/-);E2f4(-/-) mutants survived to birth. These Rb(-/-);E2f4(-/-) embryos exhibited all of the defects characteristic of the Rb and E2f4 single mutants and had no novel defects. Taken together, our data show that pRB and E2F4 cooperate in placental development, but play largely non-overlapping roles in the development of many embryonic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice Y Lee
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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36
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Lai K, Amsterdam A, Farrington S, Bronson RT, Hopkins N, Lees JA. Many ribosomal protein mutations are associated with growth impairment and tumor predisposition in zebrafish. Dev Dyn 2009; 238:76-85. [PMID: 19097187 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We have characterized 28 zebrafish lines with heterozygous mutations in ribosomal protein (rp) genes, and found that 17 of these are prone to develop zebrafish malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (zMPNST). Heterozygotes from the vast majority of tumor-prone rp lines were found to be growth-impaired, though not all growth-impaired rp lines were tumor-prone. Significantly, however, the rp lines with the greatest incidence of zMPNSTs all displayed a growth impairment. Furthermore, heterozygous cells from one tumor-prone rp line were out-competed by wild-type cells in chimeric embryos. The growth impairment resulting from heterozygosity for many rp genes suggests that a global defect in protein translation exists in these lines, raising the possibility that a translation defect that precedes tumor development is predictive of tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Lai
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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37
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Ianari A, Natale T, Calo E, Ferretti E, Alesse E, Screpanti I, Haigis K, Gulino A, Lees JA. Proapoptotic function of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein. Cancer Cell 2009; 15:184-94. [PMID: 19249677 PMCID: PMC2880703 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2009.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2008] [Revised: 08/03/2008] [Accepted: 01/26/2009] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma protein (pRB) tumor suppressor blocks cell proliferation by repressing the E2F transcription factors. This inhibition is relieved through mitogen-induced phosphorylation of pRB, triggering E2F release and activation of cell-cycle genes. E2F1 can also activate proapoptotic genes in response to genotoxic or oncogenic stress. However, pRB's role in this context has not been established. Here we show that DNA damage and E1A-induced oncogenic stress promote formation of a pRB-E2F1 complex even in proliferating cells. Moreover, pRB is bound to proapoptotic promoters that are transcriptionally active, and pRB is required for maximal apoptotic response in vitro and in vivo. Together, these data reveal a direct role for pRB in the induction of apoptosis in response to genotoxic or oncogenic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Ianari
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Natale
- Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Eliezer Calo
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Alesse
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Isabella Screpanti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Kevin Haigis
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Cancer Research, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Alberto Gulino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Neuromed Institute, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
- Corresponding authors: (A.G.) Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, La Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome, Italy 00161, Tel. (39 06) 446 4021, . (J.A.L.) MIT Koch Institute, E17-517B, 40 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 252 1972,
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Corresponding authors: (A.G.) Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, La Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome, Italy 00161, Tel. (39 06) 446 4021, . (J.A.L.) MIT Koch Institute, E17-517B, 40 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 252 1972,
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38
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King JC, Moskowitz IPG, Burgon PG, Ahmad F, Stone JR, Seidman JG, Lees JA. E2F3 plays an essential role in cardiac development and function. Cell Cycle 2008; 7:3775-80. [PMID: 19029823 DOI: 10.4161/cc.7.23.7240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The E2F transcription factors are key downstream targets of the retinoblastoma protein tumor suppressor. They are known to regulate the expression of genes that control fundamental biological processes including cellular proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. However, considerable questions remain about the precise roles of the individual E2F family members. This study shows that E2F3 is essential for normal cardiac development. E2F3-loss impairs the proliferative capacity of the embryonic myocardium and most E2f3(-/-) mice die in utero or perinatally with hypoplastic ventricular walls and/or severe atrial and ventricular septal defects. A small fraction of the E2f3(-/-) neonates have hearts that appear grossly normal and they initially survive. However, these animals display ultrastructural defects in the cardiac muscle and ultimately die as a result of congestive heart failure. These data demonstrate a clear role for E2F3 in myocardial and cardiac function during both development and adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C King
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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39
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Parisi T, Bronson RT, Lees JA. Inhibition of pituitary tumors in Rb mutant chimeras through E2f4 loss reveals a key suppressive role for the pRB/E2F pathway in urothelium and ganglionic carcinogenesis. Oncogene 2008; 28:500-8. [PMID: 18997819 PMCID: PMC2633419 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2008.406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma protein pRB suppresses tumorigenesis largely through regulation of the E2F transcription factors. E2F4, the most abundant E2F protein, is thought to act in cooperation with pRB to restrain cell proliferation. In this study, we analyze how loss of E2f4 affects the tumorigenicity of pRB-deficient tissues. Since Rb-/-;E2f4-/- germline mice die in utero, we generated Rb-/-;E2f4-/- chimeric animals to allow examination of adult tumor phenotypes. We found that loss of E2f4 had a differential effect on known Rb-associated neuroendocrine tumors. It did not affect thyroid and adrenal glands tumors but partially suppressed lung neuroendocrine hyperplasia. The most striking effect was in the pituitary where E2F4-loss delayed the development, and reduced the incidence, of Rb mutant tumors. This tumor suppression increased the longevity of the Rb-/-;E2f4-/- chimeric animals allowing us to identify novel tumor types. We observed ganglionic neuroendocrine neoplasms, lesions not previously associated with mutation of either Rb or E2f4. Moreover, a subset of the Rb-/-;E2f4-/- chimeras developed either low or high-grade carcinomas in the urothelium transitional epithelium supporting a key role for Rb in bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Parisi
- Department of Biology, David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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40
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Berman SD, Yuan TL, Miller ES, Lee EY, Caron A, Lees JA. The retinoblastoma protein tumor suppressor is important for appropriate osteoblast differentiation and bone development. Mol Cancer Res 2008; 6:1440-51. [PMID: 18819932 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-08-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mutation of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor gene is strongly linked to osteosarcoma formation. This observation and the documented interaction between the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and Runx2 suggests that pRb is important in bone development. To assess this hypothesis, we used a conditional knockout strategy to generate pRb-deficient embryos that survive to birth. Analysis of these embryos shows that Rb inactivation causes the abnormal development and impaired ossification of several bones, correlating with an impairment in osteoblast differentiation. We further show that Rb inactivation acts to promote osteoblast differentiation in vitro and, through conditional analysis, establish that this occurs in a cell-intrinsic manner. Although these in vivo and in vitro differentiation phenotypes seem paradoxical, we find that Rb-deficient osteoblasts have an impaired ability to exit the cell cycle both in vivo and in vitro that can explain the observed differentiation defects. Consistent with this observation, we show that the cell cycle and the bone defects in Rb-deficient embryos can be suppressed by deletion of E2f1, a known proliferation inducer that acts downstream of Rb. Thus, we conclude that pRb plays a key role in regulating osteoblast differentiation by mediating the inhibition of E2F and consequently promoting cell cycle exit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D Berman
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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41
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Abstract
Bmi1 is a Polycomb Group protein that functions as a component of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) to control axial skeleton development through Hox gene repression. Bmi1 also represses transcription of the Ink4a-Arf locus and is consequently required to maintain the proliferative and self-renewal properties of hematopoietic and neural stem cells. Previously, one E2F family member, E2F6, has been shown to interact with Bmi1 and other known PRC1 components. However, the biological relevance of this interaction is unknown. In this study, we use mouse models to investigate the interplay between E2F6 and Bmi1. This analysis shows that E2f6 and Bmi1 cooperate in the regulation of Hox genes, and consequently axial skeleton development, but not in the repression of the Ink4a-Arf locus. These findings underscore the significance of the E2F6-Bmi1 interaction in vivo and suggest that the Hox and Ink4a-Arf loci are regulated by somewhat different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Courel
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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42
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Iaquinta PJ, Lees JA. Life and death decisions by the E2F transcription factors. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2007; 19:649-57. [PMID: 18032011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2007.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2007] [Accepted: 10/06/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The E2F transcription factors are critical regulators of genes required for appropriate progression through the cell cycle, and in special circumstances they can also promote the expression of another class of genes that function in the apoptotic program. Since E2Fs can initiate both cell proliferation and cell death, it is not surprising that the pro-apoptotic capacity of these proteins is subject to complex regulation. Recent study has expanded our knowledge of the factors influencing E2F-induced apoptosis as well as downstream targets of E2F in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip J Iaquinta
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, E17-517B, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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43
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Conboy CM, Spyrou C, Thorne NP, Wade EJ, Barbosa-Morais NL, Wilson MD, Bhattacharjee A, Young RA, Tavaré S, Lees JA, Odom DT. Cell cycle genes are the evolutionarily conserved targets of the E2F4 transcription factor. PLoS One 2007; 2:e1061. [PMID: 17957245 PMCID: PMC2020443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2007] [Accepted: 09/27/2007] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining quiescent cells in G0 phase is achieved in part through the multiprotein subunit complex known as DREAM, and in human cell lines the transcription factor E2F4 directs this complex to its cell cycle targets. We found that E2F4 binds a highly overlapping set of human genes among three diverse primary tissues and an asynchronous cell line, which suggests that tissue-specific binding partners and chromatin structure have minimal influence on E2F4 targeting. To investigate the conservation of these transcription factor binding events, we identified the mouse genes bound by E2f4 in seven primary mouse tissues and a cell line. E2f4 bound a set of mouse genes that was common among mouse tissues, but largely distinct from the genes bound in human. The evolutionarily conserved set of E2F4 bound genes is highly enriched for functionally relevant regulatory interactions important for maintaining cellular quiescence. In contrast, we found minimal mRNA expression perturbations in this core set of E2f4 bound genes in the liver, kidney, and testes of E2f4 null mice. Thus, the regulatory mechanisms maintaining quiescence are robust even to complete loss of conserved transcription factor binding events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Conboy
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christiana Spyrou
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Statistical Laboratory, Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie P. Thorne
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth J. Wade
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Nuno L. Barbosa-Morais
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael D. Wilson
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Richard A. Young
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Simon Tavaré
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Duncan T. Odom
- Cancer Research UK-Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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44
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Danielian PS, Bender Kim CF, Caron AM, Vasile E, Bronson RT, Lees JA. E2f4 is required for normal development of the airway epithelium. Dev Biol 2007; 305:564-76. [PMID: 17383628 PMCID: PMC1939821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2006] [Revised: 02/24/2007] [Accepted: 02/27/2007] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The airway epithelium is comprised of specialized cell types that play key roles in protecting the lungs from environmental insults. The cellular composition of the murine respiratory epithelium is established during development and different cell types populate specific regions along the airway. Here we show that E2f4-deficiency leads to an absence of ciliated cells from the entire airway epithelium and the epithelium of the submucosal glands in the paranasal sinuses. This defect is particularly striking in the nasal epithelium of E2f4-/- mice where ciliated cells are replaced by columnar secretory cells that produce mucin-like substances. In addition, in the proximal lung, E2f4 loss causes a reduction in Clara cell marker expression indicating that Clara cell development is also affected. These defects arise during embryogenesis and, in the nasal epithelium, appear to be independent of any changes in cell proliferation, the principal process regulated by members of the E2f family of transcription factors. We therefore conclude that E2f4 is required to determine the appropriate development of the airway epithelium. Importantly, the combination of no ciliated cells and excess mucous cells can account for the chronic rhinitis and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections that causes the postnatal lethality of E2f4 mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S. Danielian
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Carla F. Bender Kim
- Stem Cell Program, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alicia M. Caron
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Eliza Vasile
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Corresponding author. Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA, Email address: , Telephone: +1-617-252-1972, Fax: +1-617-253-9863
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Reinhardt HC, Aslanian AS, Lees JA, Yaffe MB. p53-deficient cells rely on ATM- and ATR-mediated checkpoint signaling through the p38MAPK/MK2 pathway for survival after DNA damage. Cancer Cell 2007; 11:175-89. [PMID: 17292828 PMCID: PMC2742175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2006.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 456] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2006] [Revised: 11/02/2006] [Accepted: 11/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In response to DNA damage, eukaryotic cells activate ATM-Chk2 and/or ATR-Chk1 to arrest the cell cycle and initiate DNA repair. We show that, in the absence of p53, cells depend on a third cell-cycle checkpoint pathway involving p38MAPK/MK2 for cell-cycle arrest and survival after DNA damage. MK2 depletion in p53-deficient cells, but not in p53 wild-type cells, caused abrogation of the Cdc25A-mediated S phase checkpoint after cisplatin exposure and loss of the Cdc25B-mediated G2/M checkpoint following doxorubicin treatment, resulting in mitotic catastrophe and pronounced regression of murine tumors in vivo. We show that the Chk1 inhibitor UCN-01 also potently inhibits MK2, suggesting that its clinical efficacy results from the simultaneous disruption of two critical checkpoint pathways in p53-defective cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Christian Reinhardt
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-580, Cambridge, MA, 02139 USA
| | - Aaron S. Aslanian
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-580, Cambridge, MA, 02139 USA
| | - Jacqueline A. Lees
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-580, Cambridge, MA, 02139 USA
| | - Michael B. Yaffe
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-580, Cambridge, MA, 02139 USA
- Division of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-580, Cambridge, MA, 02139 USA
- Address correspondence to: Michael B. Yaffe, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E18-570, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, Ph: 617-452-2103, Fax: 617-452-4978, E-mail:
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Parisi T, Yuan TL, Faust AM, Caron AM, Bronson R, Lees JA. Selective requirements for E2f3 in the development and tumorigenicity of Rb-deficient chimeric tissues. Mol Cell Biol 2007; 27:2283-93. [PMID: 17210634 PMCID: PMC1820513 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01854-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor function of the retinoblastoma protein pRB is largely dependent upon its capacity to inhibit the E2F transcription factors and thereby cell proliferation. Attempts to study the interplay between pRB and the E2Fs have been hampered by the prenatal death of Rb; E2f nullizygous mice. In this study, we isolated Rb; E2f3 mutant embryonic stem cells and generated Rb(-/-); E2f3(-/-) chimeric mice, thus bypassing the lethality of the Rb(-/-); E2f3(-/-) germ line mutant mice. We show that loss of E2F3 has opposing effects on two of the known developmental defects arising in Rb(-/-) chimeras; it suppresses the formation of cataracts while aggravating the retinal dysplasia. This model system also allows us to assess how E2f3 status influences tumor formation in Rb(-/-) tissues. We find that E2f3 is dispensable for the development of pRB-deficient pituitary and thyroid tumors. In contrast, E2f3 inactivation completely suppresses the pulmonary neuroendocrine hyperplasia arising in Rb(-/-) chimeric mice. This hyperproliferative state is thought to represent the preneoplastic lesion of small-cell lung carcinoma. Therefore, our observation highlights a potential role for E2F3 in the early stages of this tumor type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Parisi
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Sansam CL, Shepard JL, Lai K, Ianari A, Danielian PS, Amsterdam A, Hopkins N, Lees JA. DTL/CDT2 is essential for both CDT1 regulation and the early G2/M checkpoint. Genes Dev 2006; 20:3117-29. [PMID: 17085480 PMCID: PMC1635147 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1482106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint genes maintain genomic stability by arresting cells after DNA damage. Many of these genes also control cell cycle events in unperturbed cells. By conducting a screen for checkpoint genes in zebrafish, we found that dtl/cdt2 is an essential component of the early, radiation-induced G2/M checkpoint. We subsequently found that dtl/cdt2 is required for normal cell cycle control, primarily to prevent rereplication. Both the checkpoint and replication roles are conserved in human DTL. Our data indicate that the rereplication reflects a requirement for DTL in regulating CDT1, a protein required for prereplication complex formation. CDT1 is degraded in S phase to prevent rereplication, and following DNA damage to prevent origin firing. We show that DTL associates with the CUL4-DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase and is required for CDT1 down-regulation in unperturbed cells and following DNA damage. The cell cycle defects of Dtl-deficient zebrafish are suppressed by reducing Cdt1 levels. In contrast, the early G2/M checkpoint defect appears to be Cdt1-independent. Thus, DTL promotes genomic stability through two distinct mechanisms. First, it is an essential component of the CUL4-DDB1 complex that controls CDT1 levels, thereby preventing rereplication. Second, it is required for the early G2/M checkpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Sansam
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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48
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Abstract
Deregulation of the cell cycle machinery plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. In particular, functional inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) is a key event. pRB's tumor suppressive activity is at least partially dependent on its ability to regulate the activity of the E2F transcription factors. E2F controls the expression of genes that encode the cellular proliferation machinery. E2F can also trigger apoptosis when it is inappropriately expressed. Here we present evidence that E2F acts to directly regulate the Arf/p53 tumor surveillance network. In normal cells, a single member of the E2F family, E2F3, participates in the transcriptional silencing of Arf. In response to oncogenic stress, the activating E2Fs, E2F1, 2, and E2F3A, all associate with Arf and promote its transcription. These findings raise the possibility that E2F acts as a sensor of inappropriate versus normal proliferative signals and determines whether or not the Arf/p53 tumor surveillance network is engaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Iaquinta
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, USA
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49
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Abstract
Tumor development is dependent upon the inactivation of two key tumor-suppressor networks, p16(Ink4a)-cycD/cdk4-pRB-E2F and p19(Arf)-mdm2-p53, that regulate cellular proliferation and the tumor surveillance response. These networks are known to intersect with one another, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that E2F directly participates in the transcriptional control of Arf in both normal and transformed cells. This occurs in a manner that is significantly different from the regulation of classic E2F-responsive targets. In wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), the Arf promoter is occupied by E2F3 and not other E2F family members. In quiescent cells, this role is largely fulfilled by E2F3b, an E2F3 isoform whose function was previously undetermined. E2f3 loss is sufficient to derepress Arf, triggering activation of p53 and expression of p21(Cip1). Thus, E2F3 is a key repressor of the p19(Arf)-p53 pathway in normal cells. Consistent with this notion, Arf mutation suppresses the activation of p53 and p21(Cip1) in E2f3-deficient MEFs. Arf loss also rescues the known cell cycle re-entry defect of E2f3(-/-) cells, and this correlates with restoration of appropriate activation of classic E2F-responsive genes. Our data also demonstrate a direct role for E2F in the oncogenic activation of Arf. Specifically, we observe recruitment of the endogenous activating E2Fs, E2F1, and E2F3a, to the Arf promoter. Thus, distinct E2F complexes directly contribute to the normal repression and oncogenic activation of Arf. We propose that monitoring of E2F levels and/or activity is a key component of Arf's ability to respond to inappropriate, but not normal cellular proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Aslanian
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Amsterdam A, Sadler KC, Lai K, Farrington S, Bronson RT, Lees JA, Hopkins N. Many ribosomal protein genes are cancer genes in zebrafish. PLoS Biol 2004; 2:E139. [PMID: 15138505 PMCID: PMC406397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 329] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2003] [Accepted: 03/10/2004] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have generated several hundred lines of zebrafish (Danio rerio), each heterozygous for a recessive embryonic lethal mutation. Since many tumor suppressor genes are recessive lethals, we screened our colony for lines that display early mortality and/or gross evidence of tumors. We identified 12 lines with elevated cancer incidence. Fish from these lines develop malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and in some cases also other tumor types, with moderate to very high frequencies. Surprisingly, 11 of the 12 lines were each heterozygous for a mutation in a different ribosomal protein (RP) gene, while one line was heterozygous for a mutation in a zebrafish paralog of the human and mouse tumor suppressor gene, neurofibromatosis type 2. Our findings suggest that many RP genes may act as haploinsufficient tumor suppressors in fish. Many RP genes might also be cancer genes in humans, where their role in tumorigenesis could easily have escaped detection up to now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Amsterdam
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Kirsten C Sadler
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Kevin Lai
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Sarah Farrington
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- 2Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Veterinary MedicineBoston, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
| | - Nancy Hopkins
- 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUnited States of America
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